Red minor Tetras Being territorial...

[Obsessedfishlover]

I recently just added 3 red minor tetras to my 30 gal with 2 rasbora hems and 4 black skirt tetras and the guy at pets art said they would be fine but they are very territorial and nipping at all fish I'm wondering if they are doing it for food and also I have two snails and they even nipp at the snails antennae! What should I do my dad isn't helping with this he just says it will be fine fish do this all the time but one of my rasboras has a bunch of its tails nipped off because of the red minors... I hate to take them back or give them away but what should I do????

[Mrs.h2012]

Originally Posted by Obsessedfishlover

I recently just added 3 red minor tetras to my 30 gal with 2 rasbora hems and 4 black skirt tetras and the guy at pets art said they would be fine but they are very territorial and nipping at all fish I'm wondering if they are doing it for food and also I have two snails and they even nipp at the snails antennae! What should I do my dad isn't helping with this he just says it will be fine fish do this all the time but one of my rasboras has a bunch of its tails nipped off because of the red minors... I hate to take them back or give them away but what should I do????

Your problem is you only added 3. They are a schooling fish and need atleast 5. Try increasing the numbers to atleast 6. I have 6 serpae tetras and mine nip and chase but only within the school and they don't bother anyone else. It's in serpae tetras nature to nip and chase anyway, but like I said if you get a group of 6 you should be fine.

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Mrs.h2012

Your problem is you only added 3. They are a schooling fish and need atleast 5. Try increasing the numbers to atleast 6. I have 6 serpae tetras and mine nip and chase but only within the school and they don't bother anyone else.

Thank you so much I will probably go and add more today...

[Mrs.h2012]

Originally Posted by Obsessedfishlover

Thank you so much I will probably go and add more today...

This should solve your problem. Also go ahead and same thing for the black skirts as well.

[TheLadySmoke]

I also have 6! My red minors were aggressive and nippy for the first 24 hours or so and then they relaxed and don't bother any one. I would up their school to 6 and maybe give them some time to settle down.

[Rivercats]

They are just honery nippy fish. Adding more should help BUT they still might nip at others in the tank. Watch them carefully with the snails as if they continuously nip at the snails antennae the snails will not come out to eat and could die.

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by TheLadySmoke

I also have 6! My red minors were aggressive and nippy for the first 24 hours or so and then they relaxed and don't bother any one. I would up their school to 6 and maybe give them some time to settle down.

Thank you I'm going to wait another twenty four hours to see if they settle down... I'm just worried for my rasboras they are hiding behind the filter they are scared and won't move....they are my babies and I would do anything to save them... They were my first fish I had and the smallest ones....

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Rivercats

They are just honery nippy fish. Adding more should help BUT they still might nip at others in the tank. Watch them carefully with the snails as if they continuously nip at the snails antennae the snails will not come out to eat and could die.

I hope that doesn't happen to my snails!!! All that I've seen is that the red minors have nipped at them only about three times today,.. I think it is because they are hungry they barely get any food when I feed all of them in them in the morning the minors don't go to the top to eat they normally wait for the food to float down more and the black skirts normally get it... If it is because they re hungry would I put more food in there???

[Rivercats]

Don't risk overfeeding your tank. They will eat when settled. The snails antennae often look like little wiggling worms that can often attract the attention of many fish. Just watch that the snails are out and about doing their normal routine and not sitting closed up continuously.

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Rivercats

Don't risk overfeeding your tank. They will eat when settled. The snails antennae often look like little wiggling worms that can often attract the attention of many fish. Just watch that the snails are out and about doing their normal routine and not sitting closed up continuously.

I think my snails might be a little scared the eat normal and stuff but they hide there antennae from the fish who nip..

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Rivercats

They are just honery nippy fish. Adding more should help BUT they still might nip at others in the tank. Watch them carefully with the snails as if they continuously nip at the snails antennae the snails will not come out to eat and could die.

I'm getting worried now my snails haven't came out in a while... They do this but now that you've said that I'm wondering if they r going to die!....... lso is my rasbora going to die it is very very stressed with the biggest eyes I've ever seen on its face it won't come out from behind the filter.... Is it so stressed it will die????

[Rivercats]

Take a breath and relax first of all!!! Nothing is going to die overnight so don't get so stressed. It would take some time for that to happen which is why you need to keep an eye on things without obsessing over it.. lol. Watch for a few days and see if everyone settles down and things go back to normal, If they don't then you need to decide what to do. You also might want to try getting 3 more to see if things settle down or just return them and get a larger school of Rasbora's which the other Rasboras will like.

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Rivercats

Take a breath and relax first of all!!! Nothing is going to die overnight so don't get so stressed. It would take some time for that to happen which is why you need to keep an eye on things without obsessing over it.. lol. Watch for a few days and see if everyone settles down and things go back to normal, If they don't then you need to decide what to do. You also might want to try getting 3 more to see if things settle down or just return them and get a larger school of Rasbora's which the other Rasboras will like.

I'm deciding to return my minors and get a larger school of rasboras which are probably my favorite fish out of all my fish.... I'm sory if you like red minor tetras but I hate them I will not get more and I will never even get any of them again.... Sorry to be harsh...

[Rivercats]

Don't worry I am not a fan of them either, in fact I haven't kept them since the late 80 or early 90's! Currently I have a school of 15 Harlequin Rasboras in one of my tank and I really like them. I've learned over the years and stick with tetras like cardinals, rummynose, and a couple others. The nippy ones aren't bad either if kept with similar tempered fish.

[Obsessedfishlover]

Originally Posted by Rivercats

Don't worry I am not a fan of them either, in fact I haven't kept them since the late 80 or early 90's! Currently I have a school of 15 Harlequin Rasboras in one of my tank and I really like them. I've learned over the years and stick with tetras like cardinals, rummynose, and a couple others. The nippy ones aren't bad either if kept with similar tempered fish.

I have resolved my problem for now thank you so much btw... I put my red minor tetras In a nursery tank that floats my rasboras have come out and ate and swam my black skirts also ate.... I'm giving my red minors to a friend of mine later tonight or tomorrow.... I'm just glad my rasboras have made it this long....